Corn-stubble cutter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. L. MASON. CORN STUBBLB GUTTER.

Patented May 22, 1894.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. L. MASON. CORN STUBBLB GUTTER.

No. 520,068. Patented May 22, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON L. MASON, OF MEDFORD, NEW JERSEY.

CORN-STUBBVLE CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,068, dated May 22,1894.

Application filed January 4, 1894. Serial No. 495,702. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON L. MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Corn-Stubble Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines known as corn-stubble cutters, and designed for operating upon soil after the harvest of corn and for the purpose of cutting and splitting up the short stubble that is left as the result of such harvesting, whereby the said stubble may be left upon the soil to decay and enrich the same, and the soil is in condition to receive a sowing of seed.

The objects of my present invention are to produce a strong and durable, simply constructed and light machine, that may be drawn by one or two horses, and which will eieotually sever or cut up, both cross and lengthwise, the short stubble, whereby the same more quickly decays, and the soil is more quickly in condition for receiving the seed subsequently sown.

Other obj ects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention, the view being taken from the front. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig.4 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail ofthe rear end of the machine.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the practice of my invention I employ a transverse axle 1, mounting the same upon suitable supporting-wheels 2. To this axle, between the wheels, I secure, by means of clips 3, the rear ends of a pair of forwardly converging light beams 4, Whose front ends meet some distance in advance of the axle, have their adjacent faces cut away and are bolted together. This produces the draftbeam of the machine, and it will be seen that in the present instance two horses are employed, one being positioned at each side of the beam. The cross-piece 5 is interposed between the two beams 4 in front of the axle,

and by means of a vertical bolt 6 has loosely pivoted thereon an ordinary double-tree 7,

to whose ends are attached the usual singletrees. Other draft-appliances may be substituted for those shown, as I have merelyindicated the preferred construction in this regard. The axles and beams 4 are braced by means of divergent brace-rods 8, whose rear 6o ends embrace the axles and whose front ends being bent to form eyes, are bolted to the beams 4, so that a rigid structure is thus obtained. An inverted U-shaped metal frame l0 rests loosely upon and embraces the two 65 beams 4, and `has its terminals pivoted by bolts 11 to said beams. The terminals depend vertically from the beams, and adjacent to their lower ends are given a partial twist and a backward bend, forming a pair of feet 7o 12. A main beam 13 surmounts the center of the axle, extending in front and in rear thereof, and at its front end has let into its upper side the central portion of the inverted U- shaped frame 10, the two parts being bolted together as indicated at 14. The rear portion of the beam 13, or that part in rear of the axle, has bolted to its under side an inverted U-shaped frame 15, whose terminals near their lower ends are inwardly bent to 8o lever 19 passes through and is loosely em- 9o braced by a guide-frame 21, which is arranged at one side of a seat-bar 22, surmounting and bolted to the main beam 13 in advance of the axle, and projecting in rear of said beam,

where it supports the seat 23 for the accom- 95 modation of the operator or driver. The spring-pawl 2O has the rib or tooth 24 upon its outer side and the same may be engaged with any one of a series of teeth formed in a locking-plate 25, that is arranged upon the roo seat-bar 22, whereby as will be obvious, by rocking the lever 19 and engaging the pawl with the various teeth, I am enabled to swing the frame 10 upon its pivots 11, and throughv the medium of the beveled rock-arm of the axle, raise or lower the main beam 13, together with any devices that may be carried thereby, and which I will now proceed to describe.

Bolted to the feet 1,2 and 16 is a pair of knives 26 and 27, the same having their inner edges beveled to cut, and terminating at their rear ends in points. The first mentioned knife 26 is slightly shorter than the last mentioned knife 27 and terminates above the same aslight distance and short of its rear end, and is therefore shorter slightly than the knife 27. These two knives, it will be seen, converge toward their rear ends so as to form a V-shaped opening or passage, for the reception of the stubble, and one being arranged above the other, the said stubble will be cut twice by passing through the knives. The knives are bolted in position on the feet as at 28, and by reason thereof may be readily removed and reground, or replaced, as occasion may require. The position of the knives with relation to the ground is regulated by a manipulation of the lever 19 in a manner heretofore described and which will now be obvious, and I am thus enabled to cuta proper distance above the ground.

A pair of curved arms 29 is bolted to the opposite sides of the beam 13 and extend rearward and downward therefrom, and at their lower ends are provided with bearings 30 for the accommodation of a transverse shaft 31 which is rotatably arranged therein. Upon this shaft I arrange three rotary cutters, which I will designate as a central cutter 32 and the two side cutters 33. The central cutter is preferably of greater diameter than the side cutters, and they are all made fast upon the aforesaid shaft and are designed to rotate in unison therewith and with each other. I arrange a clip 34: upon the upper-side of the rear end of the beam 13, pivoting the same at 35 in position thereon, and in this clip I locate loosely a fork 36 whose prongs or tines take between the cutters and are designed to free the same from all adhering soil. These cutters, it will be observed, raise and lower with the knives and hence may be regulated in their penetration in the soil. Their lower sides or portions of their peripheries occur below the planes of the knives, so that while the knives operate upon the surface of the ground, the cutters will take beneath the surface, and being located immediately in rear of the knives,will tend to split, chop up, comminute, or otherwise sever the stalks into small particles, whereby -they more readily rot or decay and thus serve to fertilize the soil from which they are cut.

Thus it will be seen that I have provideda very simple construction of machine, the same being strong, rigid, and light, consisting of few parts, all of which are under the control of the operator or driver, and which will effectually cut into small particles standing stubble that vremains after the harvesting of corn, whereby the stubble may be utilized to enrich the soil and prepare the same for the reception of a subsequent sowing of grain.

I do not limit my invention to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, but hold that I may vary the same to any extent in the knowledge of the skilled mechanic.

Having described my invention, what I claim isy l. In a corn-stubble cutter, the combination with an axle, ground-wheels therefor, a pair of beams clipped loosely upon the axle and converging at their front ends tofform a draft beam provided with draft devices, of an inverted U-shaped frame embracing and piv oted to the said draft beam in front of the axle and having its lower ends rearwardly and inwardly bent forming feet, a rock-arm carried by the axle, a main beam secured to the inverted U-shaped frame arranged over and passing in rear of the axle and loosely yconnected to the rock-arm, a U-shaped frame depending from said main beam, and having its lower ends inwardly disposed to form feet, a pair of knives bolted to the feet of the two in verted U-shaped frames, a rocking-lever extending upward from the axle adjacent to the seat for the accommodation of the driver,

and means for locking the lever, substanj tially as specified.

2. In a corn-stubble cutter, the combination with an axle, ground-wheels therefor, a pair of beams bearing loosely upon the axle and converging at their front ends to form a draftbeam provided with draft devices, of an inverted U-shaped frame embracing and pivoted to the said draft-beam in front of the axle and having its lower ends rearwardly and inwardly bent forming feet, a rock-arm carried by the axle, a main-beam secured to the inverted U-shaped frame arranged over and passing in rear of the axle and loosely connected to the rock-arm, a U-shaped frame depending from said main-beam, and having its lower ends inwardly disposed to form feet, a pair of knives bolted to the feet of the two inverted U-shaped frames, a rocking-le ver extending upward from the axle adjacent to the seat for the accommodation of the driver, and means for locking the lever, a

pair of curved arms bolted to the main-beam' at its rear end, a transverse shaft journaled in the rear ends of said arms, a gang of rotary stalk-cutters arranged upon the axle, and the cleaning-fork secured to the rear end of the main beam and terminating between the rotary cutters of the gang, substantially as specied.

3. In a corn-stubble cutter, the combination with an axle, the framework arranged thereon, and supports depending from the frame, of the horizontally disposed blades or knives converging toward their rear ends, one of said knives terminating above the other, substantially as specified.

et. In a corn stubble cutter, the framework lla 520,068 A y e having secured thereto the pair of horizontally disposed knives 26 and 27, having their inner opposing edges sharpened, one of the knives being slightly shorter than and arranged above the other, and both knivesconverging toward their rear ends, so as to form a V-shaped passage for the reception of the stubble, substantially as described.

5. In a corn stubble cutter, the framework having the horizontally disposed knives secured thereto, and the vertically arranged rotary cutters disposed in rear of the knives and having the lower portions of their peripheries extending below the plane of the knives, substantially as described.

6. In a corn stubble cutter, the framework having secured thereto the pair of horizon- SOLOMON L. MASON.

Witnesses:

E. COOPER MASON, MARK B. MOORE. 

